Spirit of the Soviet Union Anti-Nazi Cartoons and Posters Foreword Lord Beaverbrook Illustrations: The work of Soviet artists – The Pilot Press. Britain, 1942 – First Edition
A high-quality collection of anti-Nazi caricatures, illustrating the Soviet resistance to Nazism through visual art, emphasizing the struggle and determination of the Soviet people against Nazi aggression. These illustrations demonstrate the use of visual propaganda as a tool to boost national morale and encourage resistance against the enemy. The caricatures depict themes such as: The German-Italian alliance Mockery of Joseph Goebbels, highlighting his non-Aryan appearance Adolf Hitler as a bloodthirsty beast, drinking from the skulls of nations The military superiority of the Soviet Union over Germany Satirical portrayals of the “Aryan Master Race”, shown as drowning the world in blood Hitler depicted as a bloodthirsty dog, among many others Many of the caricatures are in color, with each artwork marked with the year it was created—the earliest from 1936 and the latest from the first months of World War II.
The caricatures were collected by the author, who was Britain’s Minister of Supply at the time, during his visit to Russia in 1941. They were illustrated by some of Russia’s most prominent artists: “The caricatures and posters reproduced in this book will provide the British public with a deeper understanding of the steadfastness with which the Russians are waging war. No one should doubt their determination.” (From the introduction by Lord Beaverbrook). Among the Russian artists featured in this book:
Boris Efimov, whose works were published in the Soviet satirical magazine “Krokodil” and “The Red Star” “Moor”, a legendary artist of Russian folk propaganda art
Lord Beaverbrook describes the power of Moscow’s caricature art during the war:
“Every major city across the Soviet Union now employs thousands of artists in studios producing posters and caricatures on a massive scale. In the Moscow studio alone, over 200 artists are currently at work. A traveler who recently returned from Moscow and saw them at work reported: ‘The electric lights in that studio have not been turned off since the war began.’ This remark gives some sense of their enthusiasm and the growing demand for their talents.”
48 pages. Hardcover with an illustrated dust jacket, complete and intact.
